I have 2 rescue Shih Tzu's. Olivia which is 8 now and I adipted her in 2003 when she was just a few week shy of her 3rd birthday. She was an owner surrender from an older couple that could not longer care for her. Olivia (she was originally named Cookie) was very tramatized by the shelter experience and very insecure. Her foster mom said that when she got her she would not eat, nor leave her little bed for 3 days. It took over a year for Olivia to become the great little girl that she is today. Loveable, confident and happy. Mitzi which is 4 now and we adoted her in 2006 when she was just one month shy of her 3rd birthday was a rescue from a puppy mill. She had just recently had had a littler and when she was rescured along with 4 other little Shih Tzu's they were in such bad condition the humane society, sheriffs department and the rescue group where all the ot sieze the dogs The humane society didn't want the dogs to go back to the shelter because the had so many medical problems that they didn't want them to be exposed to anything else in the shelter, so the rescue group took them all. We wanted to adopt Mitzi because we had another little Shih Tzu named Mandy that we had since she was 9 weeks old and she was now almost 16 years old and her health was failing. We new we wern't going to have much more time with her. I knew Olivia would be so lonely without Mandy and adopting Mitzi was the best thing we ever did. Mandy went to the Bridge 3 months after we adopted Mitzi. Mitzi has been a wonderful, sweet and loving little girl. She and Olivia are joined at the hip and are together all of the time. We are so happy that we have 2 such sweet and adorable little girls. If anyone is considerating adopting a dog from a rescue I encourage you to do so. They are so greatful for all of the love and attention that they get from you, because they know what it is like not to have it. But remember they are rescues and some have issues but with love and patience they will get past it and you will have a wonderful little bundle to love. Edie
I have a wonderful & beautiful rescued female Great Pyrenees. When I first got her she was in pretty poor shape. Thin as a rail, skin issues & gastro-intestinal problems. Scared to death. She had to have her hair cut off due to matting and urine & feces down to the skin. She was not white, but yellow and had never had a bath or nails cut. They approximated her age to be around 2. She had already had pups & not sure how many litters by this age. She had never been outside. My vet and I tried many products to get the yellow out of her hair but to no avail--just had to let it be. Finally after about a year with a complete regrowth she is totally white again. It's amazing with the right amounts of love, patience and understanding what a truly wonderful girl she has turned out to be. No more tummy troubles, no more skin issues and overall no health issues or concerns (yet), Very happy and content. I am so glad I had the opportunity to help her and give her the loving home she deserves. At this time I can't rescue or adopt more (already have 4 furbabies) but in the future I will be strongly considering this option again, and for all the others that I can help, I click to a couple different food sites daily. I know not everyone that has rescued has a happy ending but I feel it's sure worth a shot.
Hi, we adopted our new baby from the Humane Society almost 4 weeks ago. Our little doxie of 16 years went to the Rainbow bridge and we were brokenhearted. After a lot of serious thought we decided that we should get another dog. A friend I work with volunteer's at the local Humane Society and knew we were looking for another little doxie. We got a call on a rainy Sat. that there was a little male that had been neglected and abused. He was s h a v ed back from being so matted and was skin and bones. The vet there said after having him there for a week that she felt he was ready for a forever home. So off we went and came back home with our little Keegan. They were looking for owners that had experience with the breed because of his issues from being neglected. I am happy to say he is doing great. We just love him. He needed us as much as we needed him. He is filling out and his coat is looking good. He really is a good little dog and very well behaved. We are so happy that we could rescue a dog from the shelter. This is our first rescue dog and will not be our last. We are going to find him a companion after he feels secure in his new home. We have had plenty of kitty rescues over the years and our kitty and new baby are working out well. Keegan is 4 & 1/2 years old and we are his third home. After having him here for the past few weeks I can not understand how anyone could have mistreated this little guy. He is a great dog. It's has worked out great for us and we couldn't be happier with him. There are so many dogs that need a good home. Rescue dogs need extra TLC so you have to make sure you have the time to give it to them. It takes time and patience and lots of love. You will not regret it.
Brittmom, I have 6 dogs and all but 1 is a rescue. Lady was rescued from the a San Diego pound. She had been abandoned in the county and it took them 6 months to catch her. She survived for that long by herself so she is very self sufficient. Gracie was given to me to take care of after she was thrown from a moving car. She had several injuries, a couple broken bones, her canine tooth was broken and she was so infested with fleas that she was bald over a third of her body and face. It took a while for her to recover and once she did we discovered she had suffered some brain damage and was blind in one eye. She had just become a very special needs dog. Gracie is loving and giving and there isn't a mean bone in her body. But we decided we would never be able to adopt her out because of her special situation. She has now developed a catoract in the other eye but that doesn't stop her. Bayou was a surrender by an owner who said her husband had developed an allergy to the dog. Bayou is a very domineering person and he wants mightily to be first and only. Within the first two weeks of getting him he had peed (yes pissed) on me three times. The third time I convinced him he was NOT the alpha and when I got through with him Lady took over. They have days when they play well together and they have days when Lady has to use him to clean up the floor because he just gets on all of our nerves. I have had him debarked once and he overcame that problem and is barking very loudly again. Kirby was my first dog and I purchased him from a pet store. While in the pet store he got PARVO and it almost took his life. He spent a week in the pet hospital with IV's in him. Luckily the store had to foot the bill. Scamp was going to be destroyed because he was the runt of the litter and no one wanted him. He is a super dog and is currently being trained as a service animal. By the way Kirby was Certified for Search and Rescue. Buttons was given to a friend and I am caring for her until she can find a place to live that will allow pets.
All of my dogs herd the chickens and turkeys that I own. Kirby is a foster mother to almost all of them. When I got them as chicks he would go in and lay down in their kennel and they would climb all over him. The only time they got in trouble was when they pecked his noise or eyes. He and the other dogs go with me at night to put them to bed and I will send out a couple to do a perimeter check to see if anyone is still out. Some time the birds don't want to go into the coop yet and the dogs will chase them until the decide maybe they will go to bed.
Rescue dogs can be a lot of work at first but once you get their trust and understanding about who is the ALPHA life can be great.
Hi, Yes i have a rescue dog,a sheltie mix named Bessie.Bessie was left alone for days on end with no food or water in a cage,and just over a year old was pregnant with her first litter of puppies.When she had her 8 pups,4 of them died.The house she lived in was where her people(notice i didn't say "family)ran a Meth lab.Six months later Bessie became pregnant again and although i am not sure how,but some really nice folks from the Hearts United for Animals in Nebraska picked Bessie and all of her puppies up.I had previously lost my Copper(Humane Society name"Ripple") from a car accident that we had been in and he had to be put to sleep.Yes,he too was a rescue from the Michigan Humane Society(kill shelter).He had been transferred from an Ohio shelter up to Michigan.He was 5 years old when i adopted him.I had 1 wonderful year with him,and then the accident occurred.We were riding in a car when my husband slammed on his brakes to prevent an accident.Copper fell off of the back seat and hit his neck on the bac of my seat.He fractured his lower back,and his vet said he would never walk again.He was losing all body functions and was in so much pain,that i had to let him go. Two weeks later i asked my husband if i could have another dog companion.He said sure.I went to the internet and found the HUA website.I scrolled through page after page writing down the dogs i had been interested in,until i came to Bessie's picture.I showed it to my husband and he said go and apply for adoption.Normally when one adopts a rescue dog,you are required a home visit.Well,my home visit was going to be tough.I lived in Michigan,and Bessie was in Nebraska.The adoption counselor,Jenny unsuccessfully tried a couple of times to get a local rescue person to come and do a home check,but no one never showed up.So i took pictures of my home on a digital camera,and sent them to Jenny.I was approved.So on January 11,2005,my husband,my mother-in-law and myself drove a round trip of over 1200 miles to Nebraska to adopt her.Bessie is my best friend and i love her dearly.
I adopted Digby nearly 4 years ago when he was about 3. He is Flat Coat Retriever x Newfoundland, 52Kgs, and had spent the first years of his life in and out of the RSPCA due to a mixture of unsuitable owners and his boisterous behaviour. We went to dog-training classes and he is very obedient and intelligent. I have both a toddler and a teenager and our house if full of kids in and out and he is wonderful with them. No aggression whatsoever towards humans but wants to tear the throat out of anything on 4 legs. I walk him with a halti and 10 metre lead, but never off the lead. I have been through all the various muzzles and have found a decent stretchy one that he can still pant and breathe through. I spent a day with a dog psychiatrist who confirmed he is fearful of other dogs. I just do not have local facilities where I can practice socialising him safely with other dogs. I also have the most trouble with terriers who think they can attack him!
Anybody got any useful suggestions as to rehabilitate/socialise him ?
I have two rescues of the canine variety (and have rescued three felines from the same program)...Hanna was around age 2 when we rescued her from Petsmart's rescue program one Saturday... She is a shy, timid bird dog. Her story was that she was found in the woods and had at least one litter of pups before they spayed her.. Hanna remains timid, even more so since we rescued Hazel from the same program two years later. Hazel just turned a year old. She is a full blooded chocolate lab that was rejected by the people that bred her mother due to the white coloring on her left back paw. She and six of her siblings were rescued from a cage where they had lived their first four months of life due to their imperfections. When I found her, she was in another cage on the sidewalk of Petsmart, all hunkered down and too scared to look at people walking by. She was the last to be brought home due to her fearful personality. It took my husband and my kids and me about a week and she was out of her shell, a normal, playful, joyful lab. Prior to that, Hazel would hide behind our coffee table. We had to physically pull her outside to go potty, and back inside when she was done. I like to call her PITA (Pain in the ...) because she is always into trouble!
I adopted a Pekingese two years ago. She is the sweetest dog I ever have known. We don't know much about her history. She was almost starved when the animal shelter found her as a stray. She was blind but got around very well once che learned the location of everything in the house. I got her as a companion for my Pomeranian and they came to love each other like sisters. Sometimes rescues have issues due to ill-treatment in the past, but if you are patient with them, it is worth the wait as I have found that rescues usually turn out to be the best dogs. Unfortunately Suki had some health problems due to neglect and she passed away last month. We all really miss her. Once we recover, I definitely will adopt my next dog. So the only thing I would say is that don't adopt a special needs dog unless you can afford some vet bills.
And thank you for considering adopting a shelter dog. Every one adopted makes room for others.
Hi, I have worked as a vet tech, and have rescued many dogs over thirty years. I also foster dogs for a rescue organization in my area. I can tell you that the most successful adoptions happen when the adopting person researches breed characteristics and knows the kinds of dogs that "generally" would be a good fit. Then, if possible, choose from among dogs who have been in foster care. Foster homes can tell you so much about what it is like to live with the dog. They can let you know how reliably housebroken the dog is, what fears and quirks they might have, and many will be working to help the dog overcome issues that might have led to their surrender in the first place. Rescues can be wonderful, but do your homework and resist the sad face in the cage unless someone can give you background info. Nothing is sadder than for a rescue to be returned to the shelter.
My first Border Collie "Banjo" was a rescue. We got him with our small children in mind. That was a mistake. He was an older dog and very bossy with them after we got him home. He managed to nip all three of them within the first week. Our local league would not take him back or exchange him but offered the number of a local trainer. Not knowing what else to do we contacted him and the process began. The trainer helped me become the pack leader and sparked an interest in dog psychology that has lasted 25 years. Banjo went on to being a great asset to our family. He learned many tricks and won the many hearts. He took "best of show" in his only show. He truly was a remarkable witty dog. He also took a blue ribbon at our local fair in the catagory "most unusual pet". IMAGINE THAT - A DOG! He never became my childrens best friend. We ended up adding a beagle-basset mix to our pack. "Sport-tee" loved our kids to pieces. I would adopt another rescue in a heartbeat, but it is a good idea to have a good understanding of dogs cause alot of the time you get problems that the last owner didn't know what to do about. I am now a volunteer trainer for the shelter to make dogs more adoptable.
I just adopter Boo last night. She is a Yorkie and adorable. She was a puppy mill Mama and she is 7 years old now. She is timid and afraid from the long haul from Ohio on a 48 leg transport. The transporters and rescue (Holmes County Humane) said she was in a kill shelter and didn't have long at all. I found her just in time! She is a tiny lil thing about 7 lbs. She has no idea of what is going on or where she is or who I am! Never been out of the cage I am told- Poor Boo. I'm hoping with time, she will be a loving little sweetheart- she is alread a sweetheart to me. I hope she likes her now Mom and home in NY
Congratulations Angel B for rescuing Boo. She will be fine. All she needs is you and lots of TLC. Our little boy is doing great and after a month does not look like the same dog we brought home. His confidence is back, he's still a little timid, but he's getting there. You deserve a big cheer from the NH for what you did. Poor baby, what a life she led, but that's all over now. 3 BIG CHEERS FOR YOU.
I currently have 2 rescued beagles. You have to remember alot of these animals were negleted, abused, abandoned and never trained, but . by far, hands down, ask anyone, once you get through the rough spots ( if there are any) its well worth the trouble! They are the greatest reward ever.
Just remember, they did not ask to be the way they are, they are at the mercy of us some times rotten humans. Till this day, I can't believe no body wanted my beagle Fred. I got him from the pound when I wasn't even looking for a dog, he gave me the eyes, and I think you will also know. There are sooooo many unwanted dogs, people just toss them away like yesterdays garbage. Adopting a rescue is the best thing you can do. They also have breed rescues for almost ever breed out there if you want a specific dog.
Pick a dog that accomodates your personality and lifestle ( decide first which breeds suit you bes I like beagles because they are couch potatoes most of the time and I love their howlt) Don't support puppy mills or pet stores, resuce a lonely dog thats in a shelter or animal rescue, there are so many!! You won't be sorry, I am a firm believer and you can tell by looking at my dogs, good, content dogs = time spent with humans and daily walks!
Hi, I have two rescued dogs. One I actually got at the local humane society. He is a shephard mix about 7 months old. He is the sweetest dog ever. I also have a pug that I found wondering in our yard one morning. She was a mess she looked like she could have been dead. The shelter was going to put her down so I kept her and me and my boyfriend nursed her back to health. She now is 20 lbs and very energetic. lol I honestly don't think I would ever get anything other than a rescued dog. I grew up with animals that my family had rescued. I do believe they make some the best pets. Especially with children. My two dogs are, Diesel (the shephard pup), and Grandma (lol the pug) . They are both great with kids, love to play with them but still protective over them. Diesel is a great babysitter for younger puppies too. It's amazing to watch. But I would definitely say it is a good choice. Not only because they are great dogs but they deserve a better chance. None of them asked to be where they are. people get bored with them and don't consider what they are giving up. So that is my opinion on this. I hope it helps.
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